The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced Thursday that all senior missionaries and younger missionaries with certain health issues in Europe will be sent home amid the coronavirus outbreak.
The church stated that senior missionaries (generally couples or single women who are retired) along with young elders and sisters with "serious or chronic medical conditions" would return home. No further details or specific illnesses were listed.
The missionaries will self-isolate for 14 days upon returning home. They will not receive a new temporary assignment, unlike some missionaries who were evacuated from missions in Asia, but may be reassigned once the pandemic abates.
The missions include:
- Adriatic South Mission
- Alpine German-Speaking Mission
- Belgium/Netherlands Mission
- Czech/Slovak Mission
- Denmark Copenhagen Mission
- England Birmingham Mission
- England Leeds Mission
- England London Mission
- England Manchester Mission
- Finland Helsinki Mission
- France Paris Mission
- France Lyon Mission
- Germany Berlin Mission
- Germany Frankfurt Mission
- Italy Milan Mission
- Italy Rome Mission
- Norway Oslo Mission
- Portugal Lisbon Mission
- Scotland/Ireland Mission
- Spain Barcelona Mission
- Spain Madrid Mission
- Sweden Stockholm Mission
In addition, starting March 16, all new missionaries scheduled to begin training at the Provo or England missionary training centers will be trained remotely by video conference.
The Church also announced Thursday that all public worship services, meetings, conferences and activities would be canceled. The church's General Conference in April will be held without an audience and will be only seen electronically.
